Mercat Opens in Uptown Offering European Bistro Cuisine

Dallas needs a few more French bistros. There's something about sitting down at a table just a little after noon, ordering up a bottle of wine and starting with some great charcuterie, maybe with a little side salad dressed simply with lemon and olive oil -- something you can linger over a while and let some time slip away, before you order a great coffee and then waste the rest of your afternoon.

So you've got to be excited about the new Mercat, which opened this past weekend on the edge of Uptown. I just got my hand on the menu and there's some promising items that look worth ordering. Some others look delicious, but they're also très expensive if you know what I mean. A $45 roast chicken has to deliver, right?

Actually if the the chicken is done well, the price isn't bad since it serves two and includes fries. You've just got to hope that your date is as into the bird as you are. And any place that will let you nibble on anchovies is worth a look to me.

They're making croissants from scratch, so stopping in for a coffee and a snack seems like a great way to check out the place and feel things out. You can even grab your pastry early. They open at 7:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.

We Recommend

Pretty limited menu. And for the common good, scotch eggs should be found only in a good watering hole, like the bar at Bertha's Mussels in Fells Point. On a menu, in a restaurant, particularly a French restaurant?, sacrebleu!

I ate there yesterday and sampled a bunch of small plates plus ordered the salmon koulibiac which is to die for. The experience was quite delightful dining al fresco with wine and excellent food among good friends. I would definitely go back.